Cat's eye is "leaking"

My cat Twinky has had a "leaking" eye for a long time now. She has been seen by her veterinarian numerous times, for checkups and to address the eye discharge.

They say my cat is fine, but it comes out as somewhat of a dark red/brown color. It isn't blood, but it looks like it once it stains her white fur under her eye. It also almost seems to create crusty "scabs" where the tears fall.

Is there anything I can get for my cat, or do as a home remedy if need be, to first help reduce the leaking of this crud, to get rid of the staining, and to make sure to reduce the crusty "scabs" that build up?

Thank you so much! Twinky appreciates it :)

Dear Twinky's Parent,

It sounds as though your kitty has a blocked tear duct. This simply means that the discharge you are seeing is your cat's tears, which instead of draining out of her nose, is being forced out of the eyes.

The skin and the fur under the eye has natural bacteria, which feeds on the tears as they exit the eye. The product of the degradation creates the reddish color you are seeing on your cat's fur.

Ultimately a blocked tear duct is nothing to worry about. It won't affect your cat's eyesight or life, aside from aesthetically. The best thing to do is clean her eyes for her with a warm, damp, soft cloth as often as needed to prevent the discharge from building up and hardening under your precious Twinky's eye.